Instagram Content Pillars For Your Small Business
Struggling to determine the type of content you should be posting to social media as a small business owner? You can start by outlining your Instagram content with five content pillars for your small business.
Content pillars are key topics that drive your content strategy in the right direction. As a business owner, social media works to help you to raise brand awareness, build authority, and most importantly, attract and retain customers.
You’re able to reach the aforementioned objectives by incorporating the following five content pillars into your Instagram feed.
5 Content Pillars To Enhance Your Instagram Feed As A Business Owner
If you’re just starting out on social media and you don’t have an archive of content to pull from, I would recommend posting 3-5 days per week on Instagram as a business owner.
Most small businesses I work with rely on the five content pillars I’m about to share with you. Posting seven days a week isn’t always feasible for a growing company. This is why I’ve revisited my most popular blog from 2020 and created a more streamlined content approach for small businesses.
Content Pillar 1 – Educate
As a business owner, a key objective you’re faced with is showing authority in your industry.
Why should your ideal clients come to you, rather than your competitor?
By creating and posting educational content, you establish your expertise. Educational content will show your customers that you’re an expert in your field and you’re someone they can rely on to answer questions related to your industry.
Educational Content Example:
Content Pillar 2 – Motivate
Motivational content is the easiest content pillar to produce as it acts as something relatable and uplifting to your community. Whether you choose to create a quote graphic, a funny meme to help get through Monday, or anything in between, this content pillar will help to humanize and inspire your audience.
Motivational Content Example:
Content Pillar 3 – Engage
Business accounts on social media can often fall into the trap of talking at their audience, rather than talking to them.
To humanize your brand and actively spark conversations with your audience, integrate the engage content pillar. You can do something as simple as a poll with two options for your audience to choose and comment on. Or you can do something like asking your audience to name your next product or select your next menu item.
The goal of the engagement content pillar is to acquire a more meaningful interaction between you and your customers. We want more than just a double-tap on our photos.
Engagement Content Example:
Content Pillar 4 – Convert
The conversion content pillar is where your products and services can take center stage!
No one wants to be sold day in and day out. Therefore, by integrating a conversion content pillar into your content strategy, you’re allowing yourself to show up and hard sell at least once a week.
You may also use the convert content pillar to promote any lead magnets or any action that will drive your audience deeper into your customer journey.
Conversion Content Example:
Content Pillar 5 – Connect
You might have noticed a trend within these content pillars – humanizing your brand and connecting with your audience. The connection content pillar is the *chef’s kiss* to bring it all home.
Use this content pillar to share the behind-the-scenes of your brand:
- You can tell the stories of your employees
- Talk about the not-so-glamorous aspects of business
- Share moments of gratitude on your feed
Anything can be posted in this pillar if it strengthens the relationship between your business and your customers.
Connection Content Example:
3 Simplified Content Pillars For Those Starting Out on Social Media
Still feeling like posting to social media five days a week is too much of a burden? I’ve simplified the collection of content pillars down to the 3 of the most imperative.
Below are the three simple pillars to focus on:
Content Pillar 1 – Educate
No matter your business type, educational content is paramount to your success on social media. Teach your audience why they should care about what you know or what you sell.
- Talk about why sourcing organic ingredients are helpful to your family’s secret recipes.
- Explain the financial verbiage your company uses with its clients daily.
- Highlight why the housing market is beneficial to sellers not buyers right now.
Your options are limitless!
Below is an example of educational content created for one of my SMM clients:
Content Pillar 2 – Engage
As mentioned earlier, no one wants to be talked at. Spark conversations with your audience. Ask them their opinions, provide them with options so they can impact your brand’s marketing or product evolution, or simply provide an opportunity for your audience to praise your brand on a public forum.
Below is an example of engaging content created for one of my SMM clients:
Content Pillar 3 – Convert
Without conversion, there is no business. Don’t shy away from sharing your offers or highlighting your products in fear of being salesy. You’re a business – you need to sell. With that in mind, remember that you’re on social media to be social. Use conversion content as a means to meet your audience where they’re currently at.
- Provide a few educational posts about a topic you cover in your new book, then sell them the book.
- Explain the benefits of certain vegan products, then pitch them your vegan food prepping service.
- Highlight the different types of loan options available, then offer personalized financial consulting sessions to make their financial journey seamless.
Below is an example of Conversion Content created for one of my SMM clients:
See how it all works together?
As long as your business is consistently posting educational content, engagement-driven content, and conversion-based content, you’ll receive results!
Talk to your customers to understand what they want, highlight their results and achievements from working with you, and then sell the story, week after week.
Looking for additional assistance with your social media strategy? Pané Marketing is here to help!
Bonus Resource: Subscribe to the Content Pour-Over to sip on marketing insights every Wednesday morning that will enhance your content through buyer psychology and brand strategy principles.
